Information for record number MWA1032:
The Dingles, Welcombe

Summary The Dingles, earthworks which are probably the result of quarrying. They are within the Welcombe Golf Course.
What Is It?  
Type: Quarry
Period: Unknown
Where Is It?  
Parish: Stratford upon Avon
District: Stratford on Avon, Warwickshire
Grid Reference: SP 20 56
(Data represented on this map shows the current selected record as a single point, this is for illustrative purposes only and does not represent an accurate or complete representation of archaeological sites or features)
Level of Protection National - Old SMR PrefRef (Grade: )
Sites & Monuments Record
Description

  
Source Number  

1 In the hills at the rear of Welcombe Lodge are extensive trenches known as the Dingles, which take the form of a T with somewhat zigzag limbs. The stem of the T ranges from S to N, and the two parts are each about 500m in length and from 9.1 to 12.2m deep, the width at the top being about 12.2m, decreasing to 3 or 3.6m at the bottom. Some hold it to be an entirely natural formation, others maintain it to be a British Entrenchment.
2 'The Dingles' are clearly of no archaeological interest. Probably an old quarry, but possibly abnormal subsidence.
3 A geological fault line coincides with part of the Dingles but it is unlikely that this would have resulted in a feature such as the Dingles since the geology is Keuper Marl. It is more likely to be man-made, possibly a quarry.
4 The drive to Welcombe Hotel occupies part of the Dingles. The Welcombe Hills are known to have springs. This could possibly be an explanation for the Dingles, which are now dry apart from a pond at SP2056.
 
Sources
Source No: 1
Source Type: Bibliographic reference
Title: Shakespeare's Land
Author/originator: Ribton Turner C J
Date: 1893
Page Number: 73
Volume/Sheet:
   
Source No: 2
Source Type: Record Card/Form
Title: OS Card 56NW1
Author/originator: Ordnance Survey
Date: 1962
Page Number:
Volume/Sheet: 56NW1
   
Source No: 3
Source Type: Record Card/Form
Title: SMR Card
Author/originator: Dyke A
Date: 1979
Page Number:
Volume/Sheet: PRN 1032
   
Source No: 4
Source Type: Record Card/Form
Title: SMR Card
Author/originator: JMG
Date: 1979
Page Number:
Volume/Sheet: PRN 1319
   
Images:  
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Glossary

 
Word or Phrase
Description  
source OS Card Ordnance Survey Record Card. Before the 1970s the Ordnance Survey (OS) were responsible for recording archaeological monuments during mapping exercises. This helped the Ordnance Survey to decide which monuments to publish on maps. During these exercises the details of the monuments were written down on record cards. Copies of some of the cards are kept at the Warwickshire Sites and Monuments Record. The responsibility for recording archaeological monuments later passed to the Royal Commission on Ancient and Historic Monuments. back
source SMR Card Sites and Monuments Record Card. The Warwickshire Sites and Monuments Record began to be developed during the 1970s. The details of individual archaeological sites and findspots were written on record cards. These record cards were used until the 1990s, when their details were entered on to a computerised system. The record cards are still kept at the office of the Warwickshire Sites and Monuments Record. back
technique Earthwork Earthworks can take the form of banks, ditches and mounds. They are usually created for a specific purpose. A bank, for example, might be the remains of a boundary between two or more fields. Some earthworks may be all that remains of a collapsed building, for example, the grassed-over remains of building foundations.

In the winter, when the sun is lower in the sky than during the other seasons, earthworks have larger shadows. From the air, archaeologists are able to see the patterns of the earthworks more easily. Earthworks can sometimes be confusing when viewed at ground level, but from above, the general plan is much clearer.

Archaeologists often carry out an aerial survey or an earthwork survey to help them understand the lumps and bumps they can see on the ground.
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monument HOTEL * A large building used for the accommodation of paying travellers and guests. back
monument GOLF COURSE * A prepared area of ground used to play the game of golf on. back
monument LODGE * A small building, often inhabited by a gatekeeper, gamekeeper or similar. Use specific type where known. back
monument FEATURE * Areas of indeterminate function. back
monument POND * A body of still water often artificially formed for a specific purpose. Use specifc type where known. back
monument DRIVE * A road/carriage way giving access from the main road to the house, stables. back
monument TRENCH * An excavation used as a means of concealment, protection or both. back
monument SPRING * A point where water issues naturally from the rock or soil onto the ground or into a body of surface water. back
monument QUARRY * An excavation from which stone for building and other functions, is obtained by cutting, blasting, etc. back
monument EARTHWORK * A bank or mound of earth used as a rampart or fortification. back

* Copyright of English Heritage (1999)

English Heritage National Monuments Record